The FDNY is firing up a controversial “cadet” program aimed at giving minorities a fast track to becoming firefighters, The Post has learned.

The department plans to recruit up to 100 men and women ages 20 to 27 citywide. The cadets would work in paid internships up to 20 hours a week while getting fitness training, taking educational courses, and learning from mentors.

After the two-year program, cadets who pass a “promotional exam” would get first dibs at firefighter openings — the same way EMS workers get priority over others who take an open, competitive firefighter exam, according to the FDNY.

The program would require a high-school diploma or GED, not college credits towards a bachelor’s degree, unlike a similar NYPD program.

The United Firefighters Association has blasted the plan, saying candidates would be “handpicked.”